Class of '60
March 2006

Dear Classmates,

March madness is upon us and this is the week of high school tournaments. Those who once lived in this state recall state tournament time as the time when huge snowstorms descend upon the state. So, right on time, our snows dropped a few days ago and soon will be gone. A few weeks from now the Minnesota population will regain its strength with the return of snowbirds. All in all, it has been a mild winter and life continues to be good here.

Nevertheless, we do escape. Many head for Mexico. Marge Day Philipson and husband spend winters in Florida and summers in Minnesota. Jean (Stenstrom ’61) and Bob Eidsvold have Wisconsin, Minnesota and Florida addresses. Craig and Pat Ohnsted Anderson are moving to Tucson, AZ from St. Charles, IL. A couple of weeks ago, as I was at the airport to go to Fargo (yep, two days―all expense paid trip to Fargo), I ran into Keith “Joe” Carlson and his wife, Marjorie, who were on their way for a couple of weeks in Hawaii―first-timers. Ok, if you want to know, I was up in Fargo-Moorhead to consult at Concordia College―they wanted to know all the secrets of Gustavus’ success. But, don’t worry, I was a master at dis-information―my work ought to set them back years! Upon my return I ran into Bill Nordstrom who was working “Travelers Aid” at the airport. He and his wife, Karin, do that volunteer work regularly and really enjoy it. The Nordstroms were planning a southern escape as well. But, don’t cry for me. Carol and I managed a week in Arizona and will spend the first two weeks of April in Spain.

Let’s go to the mailbag for news gleaned during the fall Phonorama and from classmate happenings that have reached my ears since then.

Karen Olson Brown is now in her eighth year of retirement and enjoying it. Last summer, Karen attended the church-wide women of the ELCA gathering in San Antonio and also traveled to Alaska. In addition to church activities, she is vice-president of fund-raising for the medical center auxiliary and manages the town home complex where she lives in Austin, Minnesota.

From a last November note: Dave Silseth “just got back from a weekend in Greek ruins in Sicily.” Dave and Ruth live in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Marilyn Hallberg Gaffin reports having a son-in-law in Iraq and a son-in-law in Afghanistan. Nancy (Anderson) and Joel Wiberg are setting up a family scholarship at Gustavus. Wibergs, thanks for this! A great example to others of us who may wish to do the same.

Witness to Katrina recovery:

Darwin and Linda (Eckblad ’58) Knochenmus wrote:

Obviously the big news revolves around hurricanes. We were without electricity three plus days with each storm and our 15-acres of woods took a beating but that is trivial compared to all the evacuees. The churches of south Louisiana rose to the challenge of providing shelter, food, counseling, medical care and just a loving, caring environment. We have been involved in the distribution of funds sent to our local Friendship Force organization from all over the world. We hear great stories of how “God provides” as we visited mostly small independent churches and a mosque. Our lives are forever changed as we deal with traffic snarls, empty supermarket shelves, people looking for work, housing and business places at a premium, and added enrollment in the schools. One learns daily about how things are impacted in surprising ways.

Thanks for that report! Gustie students have been involved in Katrina clean up during January and during spring break. I am sure other classmates have been involved in various ways as well. Send me your stories. By the way, Linda and Darwin manage other activities as well; such as an annual trip to Toulouse, France to visit family and they make an annual trip to the Chautauqua Institute. They also participated in the 150th anniversary of Linda’s home church in Vasa. Trivia question: what famous person is buried in the Vasa cemetery? Answer: Eric Norelius, founder of Gustavus.

Marian Nelson McCollum writes of her experience with a Gustie student-caller: It was great talking with Nikki Williams. She is a Delta and told about the number of fund-raising the Deltas of today are involved in. I must say they put we old “Deltas” to shame with their concern for others. They sound like a concerned committed group of women! Makes me proud of them!

I received the standard form from Phonorama containing news of those called. It had “retired” listed by Jo Olson Yock’s name. I don’t believe it, unless I hear from Jo that she has sold the sheep and moved to town! Otherwise, lambing season will see her spending more than a few hours in the barn. With their daughter, Vanessa, living in Arizona, I know Jo and Bill make their annual winter escape.

We saw Carolyn Rydell Kreuzer at Christmas in Christ Chapel. Good to visit with her. Carolyn retired from Towers Perrin and then worked for Rapala. She has been retired for 18 months now. She has one daughter who lives in Cottage Grove and one daughter who lived in Brussels the last two years, but will be moving back to Oslo in June. “I have five grandchildren ages 22 to 1 and one great grandson who will be 3.” Carolyn adds, “I am leaving for Brussels the beginning of April. We plan to travel through France and Normandy. We will be gone a month.”

Dick Sundberg and Karen did not attend the 45th class reunion last fall because it fell on the same weekend as their 45th wedding anniversary. Congratulations Karen and Dick!

Jan Jensen Eilers is enjoying her first full year of retirement after 13 years as an elementary principal and “ump-teen” years of teaching! She’s busy with church, visiting her mom at the nursing home, playing cards and wearing red and purple with fellow “red hatters.”

Travel is a big part of Martha Jonson Miller’s life. That’s why she missed the reunion. She was in the Caribbean. Martha is the archivist at church, inventorying the wonderful artwork there. She volunteers at the local history center and enjoys having friends for breakfast, lunch and dinner. She is grandma to four.

Gail (Nelson ’62) and Byron Helgeson are new grandparents! Rachel Renee arrived last December and, of course, is a “honey.” Byron is still working for Disney part-time.

Carolyn Anderson Kvam reports having remarried since the death of her husband. “My new name is Carolyn Kvam-Hansman. Robert and I eloped to Nova Scotia last summer.” Congratulations! They live in Punta Gorda, Florida.

Our sympathy to Norm Wold on the death of his daughter, Kristin ’88, in Fresno, California on October 7. Kristin, who had attended Gustavus, had been a neo-natal nurse and had a long battle with lupus. She leaves behind a husband and two young children.

Sunday’s obituaries in the Minneapolis Star Tribune included that of Fred Rogers, Sr., father of Fred, Jr. The senior Rogers was a prominent figure in Minnesota, having co-founded Camp Lincoln and Camp Lake Hubert. Many of you probably worked summers there, as did some of our children, including our daughter, Ann ’91.

Our great friend, Evelyn “Ma” Young ’33, died last September 29. Funeral services were held at Mount Olivet Church and a memorial service was held on the campus in December. Classmate, Jimmy Anderson gave a tribute at that service. I thought many of you would like to read it. Here it is:

December 8, 2005

Christ Chapel

Gustavus Adolphus College

John 14:1-6

Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way where I am going. Thomas said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him.”

Sometimes things seem to be permanent in our world, as if they must always be there in a particular place, with that familiarity with which we have learned to accept the coming of the day, the change of seasons; like summer being there at the end of our brief, chill winter; like some great tree standing at a turn in the road where we have often passed before. Then comes that moment even though we have expected it that flows and rushes through our church and college uprooting that which we had grown accustomed to.

Today my world, our world, is uprooted for a good woman, a familiar woman, an important woman is gone. When a good woman dies it is the human and traditional thing for her friends, admirers and colleagues to lay upon her memory a language of reverence and a means to honor her and to acknowledge our debt to her life.

It is then we realize, however, in the death of a woman so remarkable and towering as Evelyn Sponberg Young, how arid and faceless the language of eulogy can be, because there is no way for it to translate the vitality, the humanness and the deep honesty of Evelyn.

Evelyn was a woman set apart. She was as much at home at a basketball game, as a dinner or at a worship service. There was always too much to do in too little time. Her accomplishments and life revolved around her beloved parents and siblings. Where but in America could hard working farm families make the sacrifice to send their children to Gustavus. Her life and world was her beloved husband Gus and her awesome children Margie and Allie and the precious grandchildren. Her life revolved around Gustavus Adolphus College right up until this year’s Royal Affair. And her life kept her headed toward the House of Many Rooms spoken about by Jesus.

I share three vignettes with you about my life and Evelyn. For many of you what I say will relate to your life with her also. The first was that Evelyn gave me a summer job working at Camp Lincoln. I share that with so many of you whose work with Evelyn made it possible to go to this college. Second, Evelyn gave us a glorious wedding reception after our wedding at Christ Chapel. And the third vignette was a simple phone call when we moved back to Minnesota after being away in California for l9 years. She said, “Jimmy, this is the greatest news in the history of Mount Olivet Church.” Of course it wasn’t, but she had a way of building you up to be ten feet tall.

A number of years ago my dad and Gus talked about their final resting place and decided to get grave lots together at Resurrection Cemetery just beyond the Arboretum. It was a friendship forged by years of our families going to each other’s houses for Swedish Christmas meals and other occasions. That bonding in life gives rise, doesn’t it, to the hope that all of our loved ones will be in our Heavenly Father’s House.

All this is to say that Evelyn knew where she had come from, why she was here and where she was going. Where am I going? I’m going to My Father’s House. In the words of the old hymn: “My father is rich in houses and lands, he holdeth the wealth of the world in his hands, of rubies and diamonds, of silver and gold, his riches are vast, his wealth is untold. I’m a child of the King, a child of the King, with Jesus my Savior, I’m a child of the King.”

All the liturgies and all the communions and all the hymns and all the scriptures and all the prayers kept her on the road to the Father’s House. She has gone to the City of God to be with Gus, her parents and brothers and sisters and Gustavus friends forever.

The other night we sang “O Come All Ye Faithful” for the first time without Evelyn. And I thought of her, wondering what she would wish of us. So let our memorial be that we took an empty bag and filled it with food for the hungry, that we gave hospitality and food to those who need a warm welcome, that we build up the faith in a new generation, that we sing a love song of faith to those who need us, singing for Jesus.

The other night we were ready to toss out last year’s Christmas cards from our basket, when Diane looked down and saw Evelyn’s right on top. Her last Christmas card closed like this, “Everybody tells me how much Gustavus has changed, but deep down I know it’s really the same. Because it’s the kids, their dreams and aspirations; it’s the profs, the intentions and inspirations; and its God’s Spirit that pervades our generations and moves us along. These are timeless.”

So are you Evelyn. Go to God, sweet Evelyn, go to God, and may the angels take you to paradise. May the martyrs come to welcome you on your way and lead you to the Holy City. May the choir of angels welcome you and may you have eternal life. Amen.

Thanks, Jim, for sharing these words with us.

The last Gustavus Quarterly contained a report of class giving for the current year. It shows that the class of ’60 is number one in our decade with 99 donors and 44% participation. The updated numbers are now: 115 donors with 51.6% and still leading in those categories. Let’s keep the momentum as it is appropriate that this year our class, in its 45th reunion year, walk away with the honors. (OK, so I want to be “class agent of the year.” I have never won it!...no, it really is not about ME…its about Gustavus and our pride in our college, its about the students we help to get the Gustavus experience…its about investing in the next generation.

Here is a “who’s who” in annual giving for the Class of 1960 as of this report:

Diane Fahlberg Anderson

Jim Anderson

Marilyn Wiklund Anderson

Mark A. Anderson

Marshall Anderson

Norma Urbach Anderson

Virginia Nelson Anderson

Ann Muesing Behning

Lorna Chumley Berlin

Peter L. Boman

Mr. Edward C. Bonderson

Daniel D. Buendorf

Arlan Burmeister

Judy Sand Burmeister

Dave Carlson

Keith Carlson

Stephen A. Carlson

Paul A. Chell

Carol Nelson Coburn

Yvonne Harvey Daily

Ruth Ann Shervheim Danger

Karen Carlson Danielson

Eileen Johnson Delk

Ruth Walfrid Dettor

Ross C. Dickie

Jim Diede

Jim D. Donicht

Barbara Seastrand Eder

David A. Ehline

Marilyn Hansen Ehline

Bob H. Eidsvold Jr.

Jan Jensen Eilers

Ruth Grandstrand Engdahl

Louise Eckman Engstrom

Bob A. Engstrom

Duane A. Erickson

R. Sandy Erickson

Robert W. Fenske

David L. Folkerds

Marlyn Windedahl Franzen

Marilyn Hallberg Gaffin

Luther A. Granquist

Elaine Ruesch Greiner

Marjorie Lind Halvorson

Mel Hammarberg

Rollie Hanks

Barb Nordstrom Hanson

Fred C. Hanson Jr.

Don J. Hautala

Janice Person Helgerson

LaVonne Risty Herbert

Dana Knobel Hesser

Dorothy Lind Hiebert

Sonja Alvheim Hirsch

Kathleen Tuominen Holmes

Richard Hostin

Dennis Johnson

Helen Hannover Johnson

Lois Swanson Johnson

Orpah Jungclaus Johnson

Dick M. Johnson

Darwin Knochenmus

Jean Knutson

Rob W. Krause

Carolyn A. Kron

Bob Krough

James A. Krueger

Carolyn Kvam-Hansman

Karen Dahlberg Landro

Ann Goodwin LaVoy

Don Lind

George A. Lindahl

Dick L. Loomer

Nathan G. Lundgren

Nguyen K. Luyen

Sharon Schultz Magnuson

Linda Cole McChane

Marian Nelson McCollum

Joanne Hedlof Merta

Donna Freeberg Mertens

Beverly Lingwall Mooney

Dee Anne Nygren Najjar

William G. Nordstrom

Karen Schendel Nybo

Bob L. Nybo

Peter A. Nyhus

James J. Olson

Karen M. Olson

Roger B. Oster

John H. Petersen

Marge Day Philipson

Sally Henderson Provenzano

Andrea Noren Rogers

Fred V. Rogers Jr

Harlan J. Sandberg

Paul Serenius

Marcia Johnson Shaw

David F. Silseth

Lois Sundberg Smedstad

Charles A. Smith

Steven L. Smith

John R. Soll

Peter J. Strand

Jean Hilding Stuart

Richard C. Sundberg

David R. Swanson

Mary McCreery Teppen

Jerry L. Thrall

Paul A. Tidemann

Jo Jensen Tollefson

Carol Schumacher Vamvakias

Martha Larson Warehime

Tom C. Weston

Anne Kilty Wiberg

Joel Wiberg

Nancy Anderson Wiberg

B. Glen Wilson

Wayne Wirkkula

David E. Wold

Jeanette Flury Ziegler

Remember, all gifts to this year’s annual fund must be in by May 31st. Please use the enclosed envelope. Thanks.

Dennis

Here’s the news from campus:

Campus News

The Alumni Board met on campus in February and made the final selection for the Alumni Awards:

Greater Gustavus Award: Gustavus Library Associates, for providing financial resources for Folke Bernadotte Library, and engaging and introducing alumni and friends in the mission of the College.

Distinguished Alumni Citations: Karen Bossart Rusthoven ’66, St. Paul, MN, founder and principal of Community of Peace Academy, St. Paul; Susan Semple-Rowland ’77, Gainesville, FL, professor of neuroscience, University of Florida and director, Neuroscience IDP Graduate Program; and Magnus Ranstorp ’85, St. Andrews, Scotland, chief scientist at the Centre for Asymmetric Threat Studies, Swedish National Defense College; and a Senior Honorary Research Associate and former Director of Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland.

The awards will be presented on Commencement Weekend or Homecoming Weekend depending on the recipient’s schedule.

Gustavus Checks

Show your Gustavus pride every time your write a check. You can now order checks with Old Main, Three Crowns, or the Gustavus football helmet at: www.mycollegechecks.com.

Gusties Helping Hurricane Victims

A group of 23 students spent three weeks during January in Mississippi aiding in the clean-up and rebuilding efforts of a town hit hard by Hurricane Katrina. The group was student-led and sponsored by Men’s Christian Fellowship at Gustavus and coordinated through Lutheran Disaster Response. While there the students provided many services, including clearing houses to the bare structure, rebuilding homes, working in kitchens, distributing supplies, and working in pastoral care, child care, and medical clinics. The group was housed and fed in a “tent city” on the grounds of Christus Victor Lutheran Church. This was one of the several vocation month experiences from which Gustavus students had the opportunity to choose.

Athletics

Nordic Ski Team senior Erich Ziegler had a first-place finish among collegiate skiers in the15K freestyle at the NorAm SuperTour stop at Telemark Resort in Cable, Wisconsin. Ziegler’s win was the first by a Gustavus skier in an NCAA/CCSA qualifier. Men’s hockey continues to win, with a 7-1 record in the MIAC. Men's swimming is 7-0 on the season and recently set two Lund Center pool record times. Brad Hanson ’08 was victorious in the 1000 freestyle in a pool-record time of 9:51.46, and Matt Stewart ’09 posted a pool-record time of 1:44.49 to win the 200-freestyle.

Upcoming Alumni Events

MAYDAY! Peace Conference on AIDS — April 19

Gustavus Association of Congregations Meeting — April 22

Gusties In Volunteer Endeavors (G.I.V.E.) Day of Community Service in Minneapolis — April 29